Oil filter



July 22, 1941. H. w. DowNlNc-z.l 2,250,299

OIIJ FILTER I Filed Jan. 18, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l gwenl'oz HERMAN W. Daw/wwe.

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July 22, 1941. H, W, DOWN|NG 2,250,299

l 011.. FILTER Filed YJaJll. 18, 193,7 2 Sheets-8116611.22

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Patented July 22, v1941 OIL FILTER Herman W. Downing. Baltimore, Md., assignor to The Oil Clarifier Corporation, a corporation of Maryland Application January 18, 1937, Serial No. 121,195

1 Claim.

This invention refers to lters and especially those types adaptable for use with engines to clean the lubricating oil used for same. It has among its objects to provide an unusually etilcient lter; one that has means for relieving excessive pressures under abnormal conditions; and a construction that enables its cartridge to be used in conventional filters of this type and nature.

The construction of this invention is such that it permits the iilter to be used electively with the engine when the latter is' started and cold.

Under the starting conditions, the lubricating oil in the engine acts like a brake to slow up its movement and create additional resistance. The oil is sluggish because it is cold and thick and sticks the rubbingsurfaces together more or less tightly. The primal resistance is considerable and enforces the engines propelling ele-v ment to built up a very high pressure to bring about circulation of the oil. When this-pressure reaches the fllter, it presses hard on the filter cartridge and its contents and tends' to create a Figure 1 is a sectional elevation through the` middle of a form of lter embodying this invention, with portions left in to show the exterior outlines of same.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the lter shown in Figure 1 with portions of its casing partly broken 'away to indicate -the construction of the cartridge inside same, Y. y

Figure 3 is a section taken along the line 3- 3 of Figure 1 looking transversely on the filter, and A Figure 4 is an enlarged detail of the ller material used in the cartridge to indicate its general make-up.

Similar reference characters refer to similar v parts throughout the drawings.

In the construction indicated, an outer casing or shell I forms the main exterior body of the device. Y It is provided with a cover Zadaptable for facile removal and placement to permit access to the interior. A corkgasket 3 mounted on the top of the casing as shown, serves to keep the lter tight. A screw plug adjustable in the cover has a 'Wing nut 5 .for turning same. The lower portion 6 is screw threaded and engages with the upper portion I of a central tube 8. A washer 9 on the top surface of the cover 2 is engaged by Wing-nut shoulder of the plug 4, and closes the openingor hole Ill in the cover. The shell I has an inlet orice II in its side wall,- a clean-out hole and plug I2 in the bottom portion I3, and an outletv pipe I Il, the end portion of which is screw-threaded at I 5.

The ller member of the iilter consists of a cartridge I6 having a series of openingsv I1 in its vertical'walls, which are spacedv from the top and bottom portions of the cartridge in, a series of rows. A cap I8. closes the cartridge as shown, While the central tube 8 passes through and is suitably secured thereto by washers 33 and welds I9 or other suitable means. The tube extends beyond the cartridge and has its end portions 'I [and 2l screw-threadably engaged with the plug 6 and outlet pipe I4 as may be seen in Figure 1. The central tube has its walls perforated with holes 20 spaced towards the middle portions of the cartridge and away `from the cap I8 and bottom plate 2I. A rayon cloth screen 30 is mounted above or over a conventional closely meshed screen 3I secured to the central or oil-carrying-off tube 8. These screens pack together and form an eicientbarrier to the passage of ne grit,'1iller material and dirt v into the tube.

The fact that this tube is termed central tube does not essentially mean that it must belo-` cated along the central axis of the cartridge. The term is generic in meaning sufficient to include positions passing through the cartridge provided same are vspaced from the walls of same towards the laxis mentioned. The filler material included in the space within the Walls of Waste, preferablyconsists of fullers earth 25 and grain chair 26 mixed intimately together.

The purpose of the 'cha'ft is to increase the net work of fuzzy or hairy antennae 21 extending through the mass of fullerfs earth and collect material from the oil passing through. At the same time the fullers earth is obstructed in its tendency to matt and separate from the chaff.

As stated above, the cartridge ller is resilient in nature. ticulate mass of filter material is free from resiliency, this property is conferred by the presence of the cotton waste. In other words, the layers or mats of cotton Waste press resilientiy against the central particulate mass to transmit resiliency throughout the mass.v

Particular attention is directed to the fact that this resiliency renders the particulate filter bed continuous and uniform at all times. Thus, it will be appreciated that after an extended period of service any bed or particulate, discrete grains would ultimately through wear or compacting tend to shrink or settle, thus leaving voids adjacent the top. The resiliency of the present bed, however, compensates adequately for this tendency so that there is no settling or void formation even after extended periods of time. In other words, the opposed side layers 22 of fibrous cotton material 'transmit a lateral resilient pressure, ,while the top layer transmits' a downward resilient force. It will be obvious from the foregoing that even if the upper layer 22 were omitted the lateral resiliency would continually tend to urge tthe top margin of the. particulate mass into contact with the `upper wall I8 ofv the cartridge, since the resilient forces would also be resolved in an upward direction. Accordingly, all of th resilient pads mutually cooperate to prevent the formation of top voids.

While it will be obvious that the parl The central tube 8 is penetrated at 28 for the placement of av by-pass valve 29 set to open for the passage of oil when the pressure of thelatter rises abnormally. The oil then by-passes into the tube and passes through the outlet pipe Il without clariiication in the cartridge. 'Ihis feature prevents the cartridge or its contents from being subject .to injurious pressures and the passage of oil therethrough at high pressure. This lessens the loadvon the oil pump, permits cold and congealed oil to flow through, and.

through the lter andthe by-pass valve will automatically close because of the lowered pressure.

The operation of the filter is as follows: The lubricating oil from the cold engine passes through the inlet oriilce Il, located close to the middle lines of the shell and cartridge, into the interior of the shell which it illls. 'Ilie thick oil passes 'so slowly into the filter material that the pressure increases until it rises to a limit that causes the `'ny-pass valve to open and bypass the oil around the filter cartridge. The oil flows through -the tube, warms same, and also draws on :the oil in the cartridge, until the resistance is reduced in the filter material and the oil ilows through and is clarified. The oil that has passed throughis clariiled as it passes through in following cycles. 'I'he action of the cotton waste, and. the fullers earth with chaff prevents channeling, while the position of the openings l1 and shoulders 23 function to direct the flow of grit and sediment more positively away from the openings in the central tube, to the sludge space at the bottom of the cartridge. The arrangement of the tube permits its ready insertion in the shell and quick attachment thereto, particularly as nuts and loose locking invention, what is vprising a uniform mixture of loose granular particulate fullers earth and chan. means to direct said oil to be filtered substantially horizontally through said loose bed of granular material vcomprising a generally upstanding wall adjacent said lter bed, said wall having inlet means therein, a well within said lter bed for As the oil is further warmedand rendered without undue resistance againstI it. When this resistance is lowered suillciently, the oil will pass collecting the oil ltered therethrough, an outlet tube for the illtered oil communicating with said well, and a. wall of cotton waste enclosing said filter bed on the inlet portions thereof and interposed between said fllter bed and the well.

HERMAN W. DOWNING. 

